If you’ve had back or neck pain for more than two weeks, Valley Health
physical therapist Michelle Young, PT, OCS, Cert MDT, has a message for
you: Get a doctor’s referral to physical therapy. If you’ve
been struggling on your own with pain for months or even years, do the
same. Back and neck pain affects millions of people. But you don’t
have to accept it as part of your everyday life. And ignoring it, hoping
it will go away, is usually not an effective solution.
Research shows that there are specific exercises you can do for yourself
that will reduce or abolish back and neck pain. The research is clear
— the earlier you see a physical therapist for care, the less likely
it is that you will need an MRI or other expensive tests, injections or
surgery. It’s also important to realize that physical therapy has
been shown to reduce the need for pain medications by 78%! Physical therapy
not only shows you how to reduce pain — you’ll learn how to
move, stand, sit and perform daily activities with modifications to minimize
the risk of recurrent pain. Everyone with back pain can benefit from that
knowledge!
Several physical therapists at Valley Health have received specialized
training and practice an evidence-based program for spine pain called theMcKenzie Method. The goal is to find a movement or position that reduces the pain, then
to repeat that movement or position over and over again until the pain
improves or goes away. The McKenzie Method has proven effective for many
patients worldwide. It’s a very thorough evaluation that assesses
patients’ pain response to specific movements. And research has
shown that if the therapist can find a directional preference (i.e. a
movement that reduces or eliminates the pain) there is a much greater
likelihood of a good outcome that can be managed by the patient.
This method empowers patients to treat themselves and is, therefore, very
cost effective. We have patients with large disc herniations who control
their condition with physical therapy alone. Having the diagnosis of a
disc bulge or herniation is not an automatic case for surgery. Consult
a McKenzie therapist first, knowing that if he/she cannot find a directional
preference within 3-5 visits, they will refer you on to another specialist
for further diagnostics and testing.
- Michelle Young, PT, OCS, Cert MDT